Dry season kicks off with an islandwide drought

While portions of East Hawaii are getting rainfall, particularly during nighttime hours, the entire Big Island remains in drought.

According to the National Weather Service’s drought monitor, the majority of the island is in moderate drought, with portions of Kohala, the Saddle area and southeast Ka‘u in extreme drought, and smaller areas in exceptional drought.

“The Hamakua and Kohala districts are struggling hard,” said forecaster Tina Stall of the NWS in Honolulu. “Based on the Climate Prediction Center’s outlook for the dry season, unfortunately it’s not great news for them as they’re in drought conditions. We’ve heard from some ranchers, including Parker Ranch, who are reporting pretty dire conditions in that area.”

Honokaa recorded 0.55 inches of rain in May, just 8% of its normal rainfall for the month. Waimea, where Parker Ranch is located, received just 0.66 inches last month, 18% of its May average. And Kahua Ranch, which usually sees more than 3 inches of rainfall, tallied just 0.93 inches.

Laupahoehoe reported its driest May since 2010, with just 2.01 inches, or 18% of its norm.

Ka Lae, also known as South Point, is used to dry Mays, with a norm of 1.79 inches rainfall. But it is in the exceptional drought area, with just 0.64 inches of rain last month, or 36% of average.

Even windward areas are, thus far, confirming forecasters’ predictions for a drier-than-normal dry season.

Glenwood, in the upper Puna rainforest, recorded 3.1 inches of rainfall in May, just one-fifth of its 15.89 inches average.

“They had their driest May in almost 20 years,” Stall noted.

It’s rare that Hilo International Airport receives more rainfall in a month than Glenwood. That happened in May, with the airport rain gauge measuring 4.51 inches, but even that is just 65% of the airport’s norm for the month.

The Kona coffee belt, unlike most of the state, experiences its wet season in the summer, and it got off to a fine start, with Waiaha leading the way with 11.7 inches, more than twice its norm.

Even the always arid Kona International Airport received 2 inches, more than thrice its average.

The drought, however, continues — which has county Fire Chief Kazuo Todd concerned.

“We are concerned … and we do keep an eye on current drought conditions because it does impact the potential for fire spread,” Todd said. “But relative to that, especially on the west side of the island where drought is more common, wind is more of a factor for the spread rate of fires.

“So, we keep an eye on the news, the media, the National Weather Service, in this case, to see what wind velocities will be, with an eye on red flag (warning) issues and staffing. For now, we’re just being cautious, keeping an eye on things so we can respond.”

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.